Far From Home: The Complete Second Series (Far From Home 13-15) Read Online Free PDF Page A

What could possibly go wrong?"
    *
    Commander Greene wandered down to the engineering section and, sure enough, found the Chief there barking orders.
    "Uh, Meryl," he said from the open doorway.
    She waved a hand at him. "Not now, Commander. This has turned into a farce! "
    There were men and women everywhere, and he realised that hardly any of them were from the Defiant herself. They were engineers from station-side, and it became instantly apparent that Gunn took umbrage at having her engineering room commandeered by strangers.
    "Calm down," he said.
    She whirled on him. "I'll be calm when I'm confident this lot know what they're doing!"
    "Chief . . ."
    She ignored him.
    "Chief!"
    "Huh?"
    He beckoned her over. "Come here, Chief. That's an order."
    Commander Greene waited until the Chief was near the door, then he backed into the hall outside.
    "Yeah?" she asked.
    "Follow me," he ordered her, and led her away from engineering.
    She walked behind him, still muttering under her breath about how her whole engine room had been thrown into disarray. How she was going to challenge several of the upgrades, first thing the following morning. How she would not rest until the Defiant was one hundred percent.
    It only took a few minutes of this for the Commander's attention to fade. He just let her ramble on as they walked. Thankfully, they reached their destination soon enough.
    "Here we are."
    Greene led them into the mess hall – empty save for them – and showed her to a table at the far end, where he'd laid out a little spread for them both and a bottle of wine.
    Chief Gunn's face instantly softened as she took in the scene. "Del . . . what is this?"
    He took her hands in his. Meryl's big glassy eyes made his heart melt.
    "I thought we could do with an hour together. Just you and me. Something to eat. A glass of wine," he said. "And besides, we did discuss this yesterday."
    "We did?"
    He nodded.
    Gunn looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. I got so wrapped up in the ship and everything. And I'm still really –"
    Commander Greene planted a kiss on her lips to quiet her. He was thankful he'd ordered the mess hall out of bounds for the next hour and a half.
    There was plenty of food left when their time was up . . .

 
    10.
     
    Jessica chose her moment to visit the munitions section, knowing most of the crew were off ship getting some much needed R&R. She'd not had a chance to get down there, but the desire to do so had burned within her. She couldn't believe it had been as long as it had. It only seemed yesterday she'd been given her posting as Captain of the Defiant and sent on her way into uncharted territory. In a way, the ship had been her inheritance. Shortly after getting under way, she'd learned that Andrew Singh was her Father and it had made the words on the memorial plaque fixed to the bulkhead in munitions a lot more meaningful.
    She turned a corner, and t here it was:
    IN MEMORIAM
    CAPTAIN ANDREW SINGH
    FATHER TO MANY
    Now she looked around, located the place where he'd perished in her arms. The recollection of that day, now a year past, came racing home. It caught in her lungs, made her eyes sting. He'd been there. At that very spot. Right there, looking up at her . . .
    *
    She spotted Singh straight away. He lay on the floor, his helmet off. Two medics worked to keep him alive. They looked up as King approached.
    Doctor Clayton stood. Jessica went to fall at Singh’s side, but the doctor stopped her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, held her at arm’s length.
    "Commander, look at me. Look at me ," he said.
    Her eyes locked onto his.
    Dr. Clayton’s eyes were full of regret, his voice firm, but tinged with sadness. "He’s dying. The explosion tore him apart. There’s too much . . . there’s nothing I can do for him now . . ."
    Jessica looked over his shoulder. She saw the blood that covered the Captain and coated the floor around him. Her hand went to her mouth.
    "I’m sorry," Dr. Clayton said. "He